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'I lied' A small smile lifted the corners of Travis'swith her ormless, but she was so surprised she couldn't help it 'You know, tell an untruth? Fabricate? Falsify?'

'I knohat a lie means,' she snapped, but not as curtly as she would have liked It was hard to be furious when exciting little shivers were racing up and down her spine 'Why?' she'Why did you lie about?'

'Finding you sexually attractive?' His voice lingered over the third word and the shivers increased 'Because you see you out of your house We got off on the wrong foot, I know that, but taking yourself off for hours tra the forest with Harvey to avoid me seemed a trifle desperate But I only half lied,' he added quietly

'Half?' she said warily 'What do you mean?'

'I said I found you interesting as a person and I do' He leant forward and every nerve in her body responded 'I'er, Beth, whose only idea of a relationship is to find out what the birds and bees are about, I've had wo if I said I didn't want to take you to bed But not now, not before you're ready I'd like to get to know you and for you to know ress'

'And if I don't?' She was tre so much she knew he could see it 'What happens then?'

'Then we kiss and walk away' His gaze didn't vacillate

She ran a shaky hand across her face 'I'm I' to take it It's too soon after everything that's happened'

He had slightly adjusted his position as she spoke and she kneas going to kiss her Soed in the lastindefinable but nevertheless very potent She stared into his deep grey eyes and then his ht caress like before This ti He made no move to hold her or draw her into hi heat was flowing along every vein and she felt heady with the thrill of it

She had known he would be able to kiss like this The knowledge had been there fro caress he'd dropped so casually on her lips before had confirmed it Sensual expertise was evident in every movement and action he made, the way he carried himself, his lazy self-assurance and effortless control